Life has gotten extremely busy lately. Don't seem to be able to focus on blogging, but I had the weirdest dream this a.m. just before the alarm went off. I hardly ever have dreams anymore or at least ones I can remember so I thought I'd jot this one down.
It was one of those apocalyptic sort of dreams.
I dreamt I was walking around the town I grew up in with some of my sisters. I think Paula, Sharon and Lisa. We were by the schoolyard of the grade school we all attended when I notice a huge crack in the pavement. Then I knew we were about to have an earthquake. Just as I tried to shout out a warning to the others the earth began to shake and roll and the fissure in the pavement began to shake and creak into a gapping chasm. I tried to run but fell to my hands and knees and tried to crawl away. The earth was rolling like waves and somehow it had carried my sisters away from me so that they were only dots on a horizon. I saw them going up and down and in and out of my view. The earth though turned into something soft, like rumpled bedsheets. I thought: is this turning into quicksand? But no it didn't seem dangerous. Everything remained soft like rumpled sheets on a bed. I looked towards the chasm and thought: is poisonous gas escaping? Will I die if I breathe it? Then I realized I could never get away if that were so, so I said out loud: Lord, if you are going to take me, do it now!
And then I woke up.
I like to try to figure out where everything that happens in a dream comes from.
My old town - well, I still live near it and visit it very frequently. I drove through it yesterday, so that's easy to see where that comes from. Plus, often in my dreams I'm in my old house where I grew up or near it.
The earth feeling like bedsheets. Well, obviously I was waking up and sensing my actual bedsheets (which were terribly tangled. I must have sleeping really restlessly!).
The poisonous gas probably comes from frequent mentions of the chemical warfare in Syria.
Don't know why I dreamt about an earthquake, but I've dreamt that sort of thing before, ages ago.
However, I don't remember ever praying in a dream before! The weird thing was realizing there was nothing I could do so I had trust in God and just take whatever was going to happen. That sensation of making that decision was the strongest impression of the dream.
I remember once talking to a priest who was a psychologist. I asked him what dreams meant. And he said it depended but that he thought they could be a working out of some problem or anxiety that has taken hold of one's mind. I thought that was a pretty astute view on dreams.
UPDATE! I just realized today is 9/11!!!! I bet that's why I had this nightmare. I do that sometimes. I am pretty ditzy about remembering dates but I've done stuff like dream about my mother and then wake up and realize it is Mother's Day or her birthday or something. So that's probably it. My brain knew what today was even if I didn't consciously.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Cheaper by the Dozen - Book 41
I read this delightful book years ago. As this summer began, I realized that my babies are growing older. Sean is 14 and now a freshman in high school. He wanted so much to try out a brick and mortar school. Becky turned 12. I sadly came to the conclusion that my reading out loud days are drawing to a close. That is a gut wrenching realization for me. Sharing books out loud with my family has been one of the most beautiful joys of motherhood for me. So as a sort of swan song, I wanted to read stories of happy families. So many great stories center on families. In the past we loved the Moffats, All of Kind Family, the Little House books. This year we took a long time reading The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. When we finished up that, I searched my brain for a good follow up and lighted on Cheaper by the Dozen.
This is a warm memoir of a family written by two of the grown children, two out of a dozen. The book ends (spoiler alert!) in 1924 at the very sob-inducing death of their father. The book is really about their remarkable parents, especially their father, who was one of kind, full of energy, humor, love and vision. The really great thing about this book is that it is of the old fashioned feminist variety; first wave feminism vs. second wave. The mother was very much involved in the family business of motion study and efficiency. Mr. Gilbreth, the dad, even called her Boss. Really they had a wonderful marriage where they were truly partners, both having the highest, loving respect for each other. Dad wanted all his children, girls included to go to college. After the father's death, the mother steps into his shoes and keeps their business running. But in spite of seeing his wife as his equal, dad still is gallant towards her. He is a gentleman and is nervous about his daughters in the new fangled era of the 20s with bobbed hair and short skirts that have come into fashion. He knows what men are and that he needs to protect his daughters from their selfish desires. And this respect for his wife and his ambitions for his daughters (as well as sons) does nothing to diminish his and hers absolute pride and joy in having twelve children. Children are blessings. That is all. No matter how troublesome, humor and love get them through everything.
One of the funniest scenes is when a representative from a fairly new organization called Planned Parenthood shows up. Boy do they have fun with that one!
While this book is clean and wholesome, some of the references or innuendo confused Becky. So I do think it might be better for a child slightly older than 12. Sean got it all, I'm pretty sure.
A wonderful book. I was happy to revisit it and share it with my youngest two kids. Sob. I think it might be the last book read aloud to more than one child. I will probably still read aloud to Becky at times, but Sean is off going to high school now. . . .I just don't think there will be a good opportunity again to read to both.
For more book reviews, go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
This is a warm memoir of a family written by two of the grown children, two out of a dozen. The book ends (spoiler alert!) in 1924 at the very sob-inducing death of their father. The book is really about their remarkable parents, especially their father, who was one of kind, full of energy, humor, love and vision. The really great thing about this book is that it is of the old fashioned feminist variety; first wave feminism vs. second wave. The mother was very much involved in the family business of motion study and efficiency. Mr. Gilbreth, the dad, even called her Boss. Really they had a wonderful marriage where they were truly partners, both having the highest, loving respect for each other. Dad wanted all his children, girls included to go to college. After the father's death, the mother steps into his shoes and keeps their business running. But in spite of seeing his wife as his equal, dad still is gallant towards her. He is a gentleman and is nervous about his daughters in the new fangled era of the 20s with bobbed hair and short skirts that have come into fashion. He knows what men are and that he needs to protect his daughters from their selfish desires. And this respect for his wife and his ambitions for his daughters (as well as sons) does nothing to diminish his and hers absolute pride and joy in having twelve children. Children are blessings. That is all. No matter how troublesome, humor and love get them through everything.
One of the funniest scenes is when a representative from a fairly new organization called Planned Parenthood shows up. Boy do they have fun with that one!
While this book is clean and wholesome, some of the references or innuendo confused Becky. So I do think it might be better for a child slightly older than 12. Sean got it all, I'm pretty sure.
A wonderful book. I was happy to revisit it and share it with my youngest two kids. Sob. I think it might be the last book read aloud to more than one child. I will probably still read aloud to Becky at times, but Sean is off going to high school now. . . .I just don't think there will be a good opportunity again to read to both.
For more book reviews, go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Book 40
This book is completely absorbing. Rebecca Skloot, the author, writes very well. In fact, I picked this book up after reading The Forgotten Founding Father and I have to say, Skloot's ability to write really outshone the previous author's plodding, contrived writing style. Skloot jumps back and forth telling a tale of science and medicine, the ravages of racial prejudice, questions of ethics and how she went about reporting all this, and it is seamless. Every character, all real people, just leaps off the page. You really feel you know them.
Henrietta Lacks was a poor black woman, a tobacco farmer from a tiny town in Virginia. The family then moved to Baltimore during World War II to work in the steel mill at Sparrow Point. She grew up incredibly poor and ignorant but with zest for life. She had five children but died of cervical cancer while only 40. Her doctor, without telling her, took some of her cancer cells and tried to grow them in the lab at Johns Hopkins. This was something that science was trying to do back in the 1950s (or earlier) but had met with no success. But Henrietta's cells, which came to be know as HeLa, grew in the lab. They grew amazingly. The HeLa cell line is grown all over the world still. There are billions more cells now than were ever contained in Henrietta herself. These cells helped test the polio vaccine, they are responsible for successful research on cancer, advances in genetics, cloning, etc. They've been an incredible boon to the advancement of medicine. But Henrietta died a horrible death from her cervical cancer. Her children were motherless with a father who couldn't cope and worked two jobs. They were raised for a time by a cruel and viscous woman who beat and tortured them. The oldest son got into the military at age 16 by lying about his age. He married a good hearted woman who rescued the younger children from evil Ethel. But the damage was done. Damage was always being done because of the fact that they were Black and poor and ignorant. Life was already stacked against them but the evil foster mother made it worse, much worse.
The books tells the story of Henrietta's children and their plight. The one we especially come to love is Deborah, so wounded, so determined, so frightened, so full of faith.
It's a really complicated story but Skloot makes it all tie together in an amazing package. People who want to wax nostalgic about the 1950s when everything was good, should read this book. Reading this book reiterated my belief that every age has its own hallmark evils going on. We just swap one form for another.
The author is trying to undo some of the evil. She helped to found The Henrietta Lacks Foundation.
I highly, highly recommend this book. For more book reviews go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
Henrietta Lacks was a poor black woman, a tobacco farmer from a tiny town in Virginia. The family then moved to Baltimore during World War II to work in the steel mill at Sparrow Point. She grew up incredibly poor and ignorant but with zest for life. She had five children but died of cervical cancer while only 40. Her doctor, without telling her, took some of her cancer cells and tried to grow them in the lab at Johns Hopkins. This was something that science was trying to do back in the 1950s (or earlier) but had met with no success. But Henrietta's cells, which came to be know as HeLa, grew in the lab. They grew amazingly. The HeLa cell line is grown all over the world still. There are billions more cells now than were ever contained in Henrietta herself. These cells helped test the polio vaccine, they are responsible for successful research on cancer, advances in genetics, cloning, etc. They've been an incredible boon to the advancement of medicine. But Henrietta died a horrible death from her cervical cancer. Her children were motherless with a father who couldn't cope and worked two jobs. They were raised for a time by a cruel and viscous woman who beat and tortured them. The oldest son got into the military at age 16 by lying about his age. He married a good hearted woman who rescued the younger children from evil Ethel. But the damage was done. Damage was always being done because of the fact that they were Black and poor and ignorant. Life was already stacked against them but the evil foster mother made it worse, much worse.
The books tells the story of Henrietta's children and their plight. The one we especially come to love is Deborah, so wounded, so determined, so frightened, so full of faith.
It's a really complicated story but Skloot makes it all tie together in an amazing package. People who want to wax nostalgic about the 1950s when everything was good, should read this book. Reading this book reiterated my belief that every age has its own hallmark evils going on. We just swap one form for another.
The author is trying to undo some of the evil. She helped to found The Henrietta Lacks Foundation.
I highly, highly recommend this book. For more book reviews go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
Rambling Insomnia Driven Thoughts
The clock is chiming 4:00 a.m. There is so much worry and heart ache in the world. It is hard to sleep. My big decision is should I give in and drink some coffee or should I try to go back to sleep. The dog is keeping me company.
I heard the details of my nephew's suicide. So very disturbing. So much hopelessness and such a sordid, waste of life. Poor baby. He must have been so unhappy. I wish I had known him better. I wish I could have given him something that would have inspired him. He's left such a huge hole in his family's heart. They loved him the best they could but it wasn't enough. Not for him. Depression is the inability to be grateful. How could he leave those people who loved him so, so much?
My neck is hurting. I am really worried about it. I think have arthritis or something in it. I need to go to the doctor's where they'll probably have me get an MRI or something.
I am worrying about Joshua. His first night at college. When Rick left him last night, he said Josh was standing all by himself at a party. Josh hates parties. They are the worst for him. I know he was probably so tongue tied. His shyness was probably building to the point where he can barely get the words out if someone should happen to talk to him. He probably wanted to escape but there was no escape. He's stuck there. I hope he's sleeping now. I hope things work out with his roommates. Soldier on, Josh! He needs a steep learning curve right now. Painful but good for him.
Yesterday afternoon, after picking up Sean from high school, I went in and cleaned the boys' room. Wow, was it bad. I didn't finish cleaning it really. But I did tidy quite a bit and dust and vacuum. There is a mountain of laundry to be done and then clothing to be sorted through. They seemed to have outgrown a lot of clothes. I need to declutter Josh's dresser top and one corner of the room still. And the closet, oy vey. That's a whole nother task right there.
I wish I was more on top of housekeeping. It would have been nice to raise my kids in less clutter and chaos. It would have helped us all, I think.
I hope Josh is alright.
I'm on a list of Catholic moms and so many are having troubles with their older children right now. They were praying Blessed Mother Teresa's emergency Memorare Novena:
Hannah's boyfriend, Peter, has moved out. Well, not quite all the way. But he's moved mostly out to a house right up the street from my parents old house, the graveyard where they are buried, where my sister lives and where the suicide took place. It's just a coincidence that the house he and his housemates rented happened to be in my old stomping grounds. So he's having his first night in a new place too. I haven't seen his house, but Hannah says it is really cute. We are lending him a car because he's got no way to get to work. It is tough starting out in this world with no money!
Sean did not like his first day at high school. He only knew one kid who isn't in any classes with him, though he did get to eat lunch with him. He met all his teachers who either asked ice breaker questions that Sean hates (he hates anything contrived like that) or the teachers came off as really strict and mean. He managed however to turn it in to funny stories to regale us all with.
Will is trying to get in as much time with his buddies, Johnny and Josh K. before they all leave for their respective colleges. Berklee starts later than most of the others so he'll be stuck home for a week after everybody else is gone. I think that always makes him lonely and restless. Poor Will has a cold he just can't shake. I hope he is over it completely before he goes.
I am thinking of really reducing facebook time. I love chatting with the ladies but I find I get too upset reading all the weird horrible news all the time. I really need to focus more on raising my youngest two kids, on being there for the older ones, on keeping house, on prayer, on the actually important things in life.
Clock just chimed 4:30. I am making coffee.
I heard the details of my nephew's suicide. So very disturbing. So much hopelessness and such a sordid, waste of life. Poor baby. He must have been so unhappy. I wish I had known him better. I wish I could have given him something that would have inspired him. He's left such a huge hole in his family's heart. They loved him the best they could but it wasn't enough. Not for him. Depression is the inability to be grateful. How could he leave those people who loved him so, so much?
My neck is hurting. I am really worried about it. I think have arthritis or something in it. I need to go to the doctor's where they'll probably have me get an MRI or something.
I am worrying about Joshua. His first night at college. When Rick left him last night, he said Josh was standing all by himself at a party. Josh hates parties. They are the worst for him. I know he was probably so tongue tied. His shyness was probably building to the point where he can barely get the words out if someone should happen to talk to him. He probably wanted to escape but there was no escape. He's stuck there. I hope he's sleeping now. I hope things work out with his roommates. Soldier on, Josh! He needs a steep learning curve right now. Painful but good for him.
Yesterday afternoon, after picking up Sean from high school, I went in and cleaned the boys' room. Wow, was it bad. I didn't finish cleaning it really. But I did tidy quite a bit and dust and vacuum. There is a mountain of laundry to be done and then clothing to be sorted through. They seemed to have outgrown a lot of clothes. I need to declutter Josh's dresser top and one corner of the room still. And the closet, oy vey. That's a whole nother task right there.
I wish I was more on top of housekeeping. It would have been nice to raise my kids in less clutter and chaos. It would have helped us all, I think.
I hope Josh is alright.
I'm on a list of Catholic moms and so many are having troubles with their older children right now. They were praying Blessed Mother Teresa's emergency Memorare Novena:
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.
Hannah's boyfriend, Peter, has moved out. Well, not quite all the way. But he's moved mostly out to a house right up the street from my parents old house, the graveyard where they are buried, where my sister lives and where the suicide took place. It's just a coincidence that the house he and his housemates rented happened to be in my old stomping grounds. So he's having his first night in a new place too. I haven't seen his house, but Hannah says it is really cute. We are lending him a car because he's got no way to get to work. It is tough starting out in this world with no money!
Sean did not like his first day at high school. He only knew one kid who isn't in any classes with him, though he did get to eat lunch with him. He met all his teachers who either asked ice breaker questions that Sean hates (he hates anything contrived like that) or the teachers came off as really strict and mean. He managed however to turn it in to funny stories to regale us all with.
Will is trying to get in as much time with his buddies, Johnny and Josh K. before they all leave for their respective colleges. Berklee starts later than most of the others so he'll be stuck home for a week after everybody else is gone. I think that always makes him lonely and restless. Poor Will has a cold he just can't shake. I hope he is over it completely before he goes.
I am thinking of really reducing facebook time. I love chatting with the ladies but I find I get too upset reading all the weird horrible news all the time. I really need to focus more on raising my youngest two kids, on being there for the older ones, on keeping house, on prayer, on the actually important things in life.
Clock just chimed 4:30. I am making coffee.
Friday, August 23, 2013
It's Been Quite a Week
This week has been a roller coaster kind of week.
It began with us finishing up shopping and other things to get Josh ready to go to Christendom and Sean ready to go to O'Connell high school.
I also was frantically working on the syllabus and lesson plans for Aquinas Learning.
Plus some thing is the matter with my neck. Maybe a pinched nerve? Anyway, I have pain, discomfort and headaches at times. Makes it hard to sit at the computer for very long.
On Wednesday around 4:00 we got some horrible news. My nephew committed suicide. I think he was about 35 years old. It's a terrible situation. Prayers for his parents, his sister and her husband and kids (he shot himself in their basement while they were home) and his other two siblings as well are all absolutely devastated. We are all in shock still. The police are taking a long time with the autopsy so everybody's in limbo, just waiting for them to state cause of death and release the body so we can bury him. It is so very, very tragic.
Then today, Friday was the big day for school for us homeschoolers. Sean went to his first day of brick and mortar high school. I dropped him off at 7:30 this morning. And now Josh is started to pack up to move to Christendom. His dad is taking him. They are leaving here around 11:00. Move in begins at 1:30 p.m.
Big changes.
It began with us finishing up shopping and other things to get Josh ready to go to Christendom and Sean ready to go to O'Connell high school.
I also was frantically working on the syllabus and lesson plans for Aquinas Learning.
Plus some thing is the matter with my neck. Maybe a pinched nerve? Anyway, I have pain, discomfort and headaches at times. Makes it hard to sit at the computer for very long.
On Wednesday around 4:00 we got some horrible news. My nephew committed suicide. I think he was about 35 years old. It's a terrible situation. Prayers for his parents, his sister and her husband and kids (he shot himself in their basement while they were home) and his other two siblings as well are all absolutely devastated. We are all in shock still. The police are taking a long time with the autopsy so everybody's in limbo, just waiting for them to state cause of death and release the body so we can bury him. It is so very, very tragic.
Then today, Friday was the big day for school for us homeschoolers. Sean went to his first day of brick and mortar high school. I dropped him off at 7:30 this morning. And now Josh is started to pack up to move to Christendom. His dad is taking him. They are leaving here around 11:00. Move in begins at 1:30 p.m.
Big changes.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
We're home! I'm feeling nesty.
We got home a couple of hours ago. I, the nervous driver, drove the whole way. I'm very proud of myself. Miraculously there was no traffic! Rick was so tired. He spent most of the vacation working on this huge settlement deal, which finally closed on Friday. He's very happy about it but he thought that he'd be able to take it easy after our week at the beach was over, but no there's something BIG happening on 8/27, so he'll have to keep going. He's tired. It kind of put a damper on the vacation, plus Granddad and his lady friend are getting older and Steve seems more unhealthy so it find kinda like being in a old folks home to me. I do think the kids had a good time. They stayed up very late playing games and watching movies. They spent some time swimming in the ocean and at the pool. They liked being able to walk down to the little town center/boardwalk and hang out and watch shows and stuff. As we were driving away this morning Becky said she wanted to come back for two weeks next summer!
Anyway, I got home and I am in a very nesting mood. I want to clean and cook wholesome foods and make things pretty and comfy-cozy.
This week really needs to be dedicated to getting Josh and Sean all set for their first day of school this coming Friday. So that will take precedence. Lots of clothes shopping! But I also want to:
1) Clean back porch so we can use it this fall. I never did clean it this spring and it is has been so rainy this summer we've only eaten out there a couple of times.
2. Make a lot of chicken broth. My IBS has been really acting up this summer and I think I should try eating homemade, preservative-free, healthy fare. So the first step is to make lots of chicken broth and I can sip every day.
3. I want to try two recipes this week. The first sounds like a yummy, quick breakfast and this one for homemade mayonnaise. I have been looking for a recipe that is easy and doesn't require a food processor. I want to stay away from all that soybean oil every single mayonnaise contains.
4. Keep up with laundry and regular housekeeping chores.
Right now I am going grocery shopping!
Anyway, I got home and I am in a very nesting mood. I want to clean and cook wholesome foods and make things pretty and comfy-cozy.
This week really needs to be dedicated to getting Josh and Sean all set for their first day of school this coming Friday. So that will take precedence. Lots of clothes shopping! But I also want to:
1) Clean back porch so we can use it this fall. I never did clean it this spring and it is has been so rainy this summer we've only eaten out there a couple of times.
2. Make a lot of chicken broth. My IBS has been really acting up this summer and I think I should try eating homemade, preservative-free, healthy fare. So the first step is to make lots of chicken broth and I can sip every day.
3. I want to try two recipes this week. The first sounds like a yummy, quick breakfast and this one for homemade mayonnaise. I have been looking for a recipe that is easy and doesn't require a food processor. I want to stay away from all that soybean oil every single mayonnaise contains.
4. Keep up with laundry and regular housekeeping chores.
Right now I am going grocery shopping!
Thursday, August 15, 2013
The Scent of Water - Book 39
The Scent of Water by Elizabeth Goudge is a lovely, quiet book. Jenn suggested it to me when I was searching for a light read for our beach trip. If you click the link, you'll notice she's reading it too). It is light in that it is full of love, warmth and beauty but it is a profound book too. Goudge is a wonderful writer, though her style is so lush and almost a little too overwrought for me, though not quite. Somehow she manages to stay just short of going overboard to my tastes! I looked the author up on wikipedia and someone described it as 'ecstatic sentimentality' which I think is a little unfair. She is emotional and every observation reflects a rich inner life that is full of feeling and meaning as the characters go about the very ordinary and small daily duties and gestures. Goudge loves to create plush atmospheres of roses and lilies, imposing, gnarled old trees, ancient ruins of abbeys and manors with intricate carvings and details. She does description very well.
The story is about a middled aged, successful career woman, competent and attractive, who suddenly leaves her busy life in London and moves to the country, seemingly on a whim. She has inherited a lovely old house from her cousin, who she was named for, and who she only met once in her childhood, but the memory of the meeting was indelibly impressed on her mind. Slowly, she gets to know all the characters of the little village (including her deceased cousin via the diaries she finds when exploring the house) and the tragedies and joys of their lives from Mr. Hepplewaite, the nouveau riche 'lord' of the manor, to the last bodger in England.
But the story is really about the inner spiritual lives of several of the characters and how Mary's arrival in the village seems to bring healing to them, as well as to herself. The village is recovering from the devastation of World War II and trying to hide from the Brave New World it created. There are many layers of symbolism in this book, from frequent references to 'the scent of water,' a quote from the book of Job, to the history behind the ruins of the old Cistercian Abbey, to a particular carving on the church wall and many others. Many themes are interwoven, mostly spiritual, like our relationship with God, the meaning of life, the healing power of love, what obedience really is. The book sort of opens and closes with Christmas and the meaning of the Nativity.
There's a lot to this story. I could write much, much more. I wish nowadays there were more books like this, fiction that has a profound Christian message and yet is well written, profoundly moving and gives the reader a lot to think about. Something that is fun about this book is that the main character, Mary Lindsey, likes to read Jane Austen. I, however, disagreed with her characterization of Fanny from Mansfield Park!
For more book reviews go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
The story is about a middled aged, successful career woman, competent and attractive, who suddenly leaves her busy life in London and moves to the country, seemingly on a whim. She has inherited a lovely old house from her cousin, who she was named for, and who she only met once in her childhood, but the memory of the meeting was indelibly impressed on her mind. Slowly, she gets to know all the characters of the little village (including her deceased cousin via the diaries she finds when exploring the house) and the tragedies and joys of their lives from Mr. Hepplewaite, the nouveau riche 'lord' of the manor, to the last bodger in England.
But the story is really about the inner spiritual lives of several of the characters and how Mary's arrival in the village seems to bring healing to them, as well as to herself. The village is recovering from the devastation of World War II and trying to hide from the Brave New World it created. There are many layers of symbolism in this book, from frequent references to 'the scent of water,' a quote from the book of Job, to the history behind the ruins of the old Cistercian Abbey, to a particular carving on the church wall and many others. Many themes are interwoven, mostly spiritual, like our relationship with God, the meaning of life, the healing power of love, what obedience really is. The book sort of opens and closes with Christmas and the meaning of the Nativity.
There's a lot to this story. I could write much, much more. I wish nowadays there were more books like this, fiction that has a profound Christian message and yet is well written, profoundly moving and gives the reader a lot to think about. Something that is fun about this book is that the main character, Mary Lindsey, likes to read Jane Austen. I, however, disagreed with her characterization of Fanny from Mansfield Park!
For more book reviews go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
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